Rover Radio Show on the Move
Fans of the show were disappointed – although not surprised – when they woke up on Feb. 18 and didn’t hear their favorite show. Rover (Shane French) had warned that his contract negotiations with CBS Radio weren’t going well. He even gave a pre-emptive “goodbye” speech on Feb. 8, just in case it was his last day.
Opie and Anthony – the New York-based morning show that also airs on XM Satellite Radio -replaced Rover on Cleveland’s 92.3 FM from 6-9 a.m. Rover was on the air from 6-11 p.m. in Cleveland as well as syndicated stations in Rochester, St. Louis and Memphis.
Opie and Anthony had been airing on a tape delay in Cleveland at 3 p.m., but now they air live.
Fortunately for Morning Glory fans, Rover may be resurfacing on WMMS (100.7 FM). A blog called Ohio Media Watch is saying that Rover will start on “The Buzzard” on April 1.
Rover has succeeded in the Cleveland with his ability to speak on serious and lighthearted topics. Also, Rover gets a ton of interesting topics from his band of misfits: pumped-up co-host Dieter, persecuted news woman Duji, and dueling interns DJ Jazzy Jim and Dumb.
Every few months, Rover and his crew make headlines with one crazy stunt. They sent a kitten on a 45-minute helium balloon ride, and Dumb became a national video sensation when he interrupted a live newcast as the “Naked Fat Guy in a Blizzard.”
Dieter has also livened up the show by acting as a real-life Wile E. Coyote. His “Dare Dieter” segments finally became so dangerous that they had to stop. Dieter has thrown himself down the stairs while wearing a suit of light bulbs; allowed himself to be set on fire; and rolled down a hill in an oil barrel. That last stunt injured Dieter enough to stop the segment.
Dieter also fought Eric “Butterbean” Esch in an exhibition boxing match that drew thousands of fans to downtown Cleveland.
Rover’s Morning Glory used to sponsor the Fightfest mixed martial arts show that I announced for, so I was able to announce along with Rover, Dieter and Jazzy Jim. They are good, down-to-earth guys and I am looking forward to hearing them on the radio again.
